Sunshine Bus Co. receives recognition

COA service chosen for award

The St. Johns County Council On Aging's Sunshine Bus Company has been recognized as an innovative and excellent program by organizations that advocate public transportation for the elderly.

The Community Transportation Association of America and the Beverly Foundation of Pasadena, Calif., notified Council On Aging Executive Director Cathy Brown this week of the award.

The COA is one of three organizations chosen from 167 nationwide.

"It just feels good for someone to say, 'Hey, that's terrific,'" Brown said.

Sunshine Bus began operations in 2000. Today, buses take people throughout the county and make eight daily trips to Jacksonville. The cost for per ride per person is $1.

Before that service began, a $200,000 Jacksonville study of St. Johns County said the area would not be viable for public transportation until 2002, Brown said. Small counties don't have public transportation, she said.

"We did what nobody said could be done," Brown said.

Establishing the service was a bold move after that study, Brown said. She credits County Commissioner Jim Bryant for being a guiding influence.

Each year the county spends $172,000 on the program, and that money is leveraged to get state and federal grants, she said.

The Sunshine Bus Company's trademark yellow buses are smaller and more flexible than traditional big city buses, Brown said. People can hail them from the curb, and they allow people who need a ride to get to work, she said.